Electronic control unit, communication method, and onboard network system

Abstract

An electronic control unit connected to a bus of a first network where first-type frames are transmitted following a first communication protocol and a second network where second-type frames are transmitted following a second communication protocol in an onboard network system. The electronic control unit sequentially receives the first-type and the second-type frames from the bus and the second network respectively, and stores in first and second reception buffers, respectively. The electronic control unit sequentially generates first-type data and second-type data by referencing the contents of the first reception buffer and the second reception buffer, and stores the first-type and second-type data in first and second transmission buffers, respectively. The first-type data is traveling control data for a vehicle, and the second-type data is other data. The first-type or second-type data that is priority type data is transmitted with priority.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic control unit connected to a first network and connected to a second network in an onboard network system, the onboard network system including the first network to transmit first-type frames relating to traveling control of a vehicle following a first communication protocol, and the second network to transmit second-type frames following a second communication protocol, the electronic control unit comprising:
 a first reception buffer; 
 a second reception buffer; 
 a first transmission buffer; 
 a second transmission buffer; 
 a first receiver that sequentially receives the first-type frames from the first network and stores data within the first-type frames in the first reception buffer; 
 a second receiver that sequentially receives the second-type frames from the second network and stores data within the second-type frames in the second reception buffer; 
 a processor that sequentially generates first-type data that is data for traveling control of the vehicle, and second-type data that is data other than traveling control of the vehicle, by referencing the contents of the first reception buffer and the second reception buffer, stores the first-type data in the first transmission buffer, and stores the second-type data in the second transmission buffer; and 
 a transmitter that transmits the first-type data in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data in the second transmission buffer, 
 wherein the transmitter performs priority transmission control, where priority type data, that is one of the first-type data and the second-type data, is transmitted with priority over non-priority type data that is another of the first-type data and the second-type data. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the priority type data is the first-type data, 
 wherein, in a case where predetermined exception conditions are not satisfied, the transmitter performs transmission of the first-type data by sending the first-type frame including the first-type data to the first network, and in a case where the exception conditions are satisfied, performs transmission of the first-type data by sending the second-type frame including the first-type data to the second network, 
 and wherein the transmitter performs transmission of the second-type data by sending the second-type frame including the second-type data to the second network. 
 
     
     
       3. The electronic control unit according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the predetermined exception conditions are conditions that are satisfied when an abnormality is detected in a part of the first network. 
 
     
     
       4. The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the transmitter performs the priority transmission control by
 repeatedly confirming the first transmission buffer and the second transmission buffer, 
 transmitting the priority type data in a case where the first-type data is in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data is in the second transmission buffer during the confirming, 
 transmitting the first-type data in a case where the first-type data is in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data is not in the second transmission buffer during the confirming, and 
 transmitting the second-type data in a case where the first-type data is not in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data is in the second transmission buffer during the confirming. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the transmitter performs the priority transmission control by
 repeatedly confirming the first transmission buffer and the second transmission buffer, 
 transmitting a predetermined quantity of the priority type data, and thereafter transmitting one of the non-priority type data, in a case where the first-type data is in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data is in the second transmission buffer during the confirming, 
 transmitting the first-type data in a case where the first-type data is in the first transmission buffer but the second-type data is not in the second transmission buffer during the confirming, and 
 transmitting the second-type data in a case where the first-type data is not in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data is in the second transmission buffer during the confirming. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The electronic control unit according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the predetermined quantity of the priority type data is a predetermined multiple of one of the non-priority type data. 
 
     
     
       7. The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the transmitter performs the priority transmission control by
 repeatedly confirming the first transmission buffer and the second transmission buffer, 
 transmitting the priority type data when non-transmission time of the non-priority data does not exceed a predetermined threshold value, and transmitting the non-priority type data when non-transmission time exceeds the predetermined threshold value, in a case where the first-type data is in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data is in the second transmission buffer during the confirming, 
 transmitting the first-type data in a case where the first-type data is in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data is not in the second transmission buffer during the confirming, and 
 transmitting the second-type data in a case where the first-type data is not in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data is in the second transmission buffer during the confirming. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The electronic control unit according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the priority reception buffer is the first reception buffer while the vehicle is traveling, and is the second reception buffer while the vehicle is stopped. 
 
     
     
       9. The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processor generates first-type data as a result of processing based on data relating to the first-type frame read from the first reception buffer, and generates second-type data as a result of processing based on data relating to the second-type frame read from the second reception buffer, 
 and wherein the processor performs priority readout control where contents of a priority reception buffer that is one of the first reception buffer and the second reception buffer is read with priority over contents of a non-priority reception buffer that is another of the first-type data and the second-type data. 
 
     
     
       10. The electronic control unit according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the processor performs the priority readout control by
 repeatedly confirming the first reception buffer and the second reception buffer, 
 reading data in the priority reception buffer in a case where data is in the first reception buffer and data is in the second reception buffer during the confirming, 
 reading data in the first reception buffer in a case where data is in the first reception buffer and data is not in the second reception buffer during the confirming, and 
 reading the data in the second reception buffer in a case where data is not in the first reception buffer but data is in the second reception buffer during the confirming. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The electronic control unit according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the processor performs the priority readout control by
 repeatedly confirming the first transmission buffer and the second transmission buffer, 
 reading a predetermined quantity of data in the priority reception buffer, and thereafter reading one data in the non-priority reception buffer, in a case where data is in the first reception buffer and data is in the second reception buffer during the confirming, 
 reading data in the first reception buffer in a case where data is in the first reception buffer and data is not in the second reception buffer during the confirming, and 
 reading the data in the second reception buffer in a case where data is not in the first reception buffer but data is in the second reception buffer during the confirming. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The electronic control unit according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the predetermined quantity of the data in the priority reception buffer is a predetermined multiple of the one data in the non-priority reception buffer. 
 
     
     
       13. The electronic control unit according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the processor performs the priority readout control by
 repeatedly confirming the first reception buffer and the second reception buffer, 
 reading data in the priority reception buffer when unread time of data in the non-priority reception buffer does not exceed a certain threshold value, and reading data in the non-priority reception buffer when unread time exceeds the certain threshold value, in a case where data is in the first reception buffer and data is in the second reception buffer during the confirming, 
 reading data in the first reception buffer in a case where data is in the first reception buffer but data is not in the second reception buffer during the confirming, and 
 reading the data in the second reception buffer in a case where data is not in the first reception buffer but data is in the second reception buffer during the confirming. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first communication protocol is the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol, 
 wherein the second communication protocol is the Ethernet (registered trademark) protocol, 
 wherein the first-type frame is a data frame, 
 and wherein the second-type frame is an Ethernet (registered trademark) frame. 
 
     
     
       15. The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a maximum data amount of the second-type frame following the second communication protocol is greater than a maximum data amount of the first-type frame following the first communication protocol. 
 
     
     
       16. The electronic control unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the priority type data is the first-type data while the vehicle is traveling, and is the second-type data while the vehicle is stopped. 
 
     
     
       17. A communication method for an electronic control unit connected to a first network and connected to a second network in an onboard network system, the onboard network system including the first network to transmit first-type frames relating to traveling control of a vehicle following a first communication protocol, and the second network to transmit second-type frames following a second communication protocol, the electronic control unit including a first reception buffer, a second reception buffer, a first transmission buffer, and a second transmission buffer, the communication method comprising:
 sequentially receiving the first-type frames from the first network and storing first stored data within the first-type frames in the first reception buffer; 
 sequentially receiving the second-type frames from the second network and storing second stored data within the second-type frames in the second reception buffer; 
 sequentially generating first-type data that is data for traveling control of the vehicle, and second-type data that is data other than traveling control of the vehicle, by referencing the contents of the first reception buffer and the second reception buffer, storing the first-type data in the first transmission buffer, and storing the second-type data in the second transmission buffer; and 
 transmitting the first-type data in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data in the second transmission buffer, 
 wherein, in the transmitting, priority transmission control is performed where priority type data, that is one of the first-type data and the second-type data, is transmitted with priority over non-priority type data that is another of the first-type data and the second-type data. 
 
     
     
       18. An onboard network system comprising:
 a first network to transmit first-type frames relating to traveling control of a vehicle following a first communication protocol; 
 a second network to transmit second-type frames following a second communication protocol; 
 a first electronic control unit connected to the first network; a second electronic control unit connected to the second network; and 
 a third electronic control unit connected to the first network and the second network, 
 wherein the third electronic control unit comprises:
 a first reception buffer, 
 a second reception buffer, 
 a first transmission buffer, 
 a second transmission buffer, 
 a first receiver that sequentially receives the first-type frames from the first network and stores first stored data within the first-type frames in the first reception buffer, 
 a second receiver that sequentially receives the second-type frames from the second network and stores second stored data within the second-type frames in the second reception buffer, 
 a processor that sequentially generates first-type data that is data for traveling control of the vehicle, and second-type data that is data other than traveling control of the vehicle, by referencing the contents of the first reception buffer and the second reception buffer, stores the first-type data in the first transmission buffer, and stores the second-type data in the second transmission buffer, and 
 a transmitter that transmits the first-type data in the first transmission buffer and the second-type data in the second transmission buffer, 
 
 wherein the transmitter performs priority transmission control, where priority type data, that is one of the first-type data and the second-type data, is transmitted with priority over non-priority type data that is another of the first-type data and the second-type data.